List of members of the European Council explained

The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union.[1]

Established as an informal summit in 1975, the European Council was formalised as an institution in 2009 upon the commencement of the Treaty of Lisbon. Its current president is Charles Michel, a former Prime Minister of Belgium.

Membership

The European Council is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states, the President of the European Council, and the President of the European Commission.

The representative of each member state depends on its political system. A member of the European Council is usually the highest representative of the executive branch of government. Cyprus, France, Lithuania, and Romania have presidential or semi-presidential systems and are represented by their head of state (president). The other member states have parliamentary systems and are represented by their head of government (prime minister).

Current members

StateMember[2] Affiliation[3] Member sinceTime as memberElectionsNext electionShare of population [4] Notes


European Union
President of the European Council
Charles Michel		Renew – MR2022
2019		2024—align=left Non-voting member


European Union
President of the European Commission
Ursula
von der Leyen		EPP – CDU20192024—align=left Non-voting member


Republic of Austria
Chancellor
Karl Nehammer		EPP – ÖVP201920241.99%align=left Head of government


Kingdom of Belgium
Prime Minister
Alexander
De Croo		Renew – Open Vld201920242.58%align=left Head of government


Republic of Bulgaria
Prime Minister
Dimitar Glavchev		Independent—20241.55%align=left Head of government


Republic of Croatia
Prime Minister
Andrej Plenković		EPP – HDZ2024
2020
2016		20280.90%align=left Head of government


Republic of Cyprus
President
Nikos Christodoulides		Independent202320280.20%align=left Head of state and head of government


Czech Republic
Prime Minister
Petr Fiala		ECR – ODS202120252.36%align=left Head of government


Denmark
Prime Minister
Mette Frederiksen		S&D – S2022
2019		20261.30%align=left Head of government


Republic of Estonia
Prime Minister
Kristen Michal		Renew – ER202320270.30%align=left Head of government


Republic of Finland
Prime Minister
Petteri Orpo		EPP – Kok.202320271.24%align=left Head of government


French Republic
President
Emmanuel Macron		Renew – RE2022
2017		202715.07%align=left Head of state


Federal Republic of Germany
Chancellor
Olaf Scholz		S&D – SPD2021202518.57%align=left Head of government


Hellenic Republic
Prime Minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis		EPP – ND2023 (Jun)
2023 (May)
2019		20272.39%align=left Head of government


Hungary
Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán		PfE – Fidesz2022
2018
2014
2010		20262.17%align=left Between July and December 2024, Viktor Orbán is the head of government of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.


Ireland
Taoiseach
Simon Harris		EPP – FG202020251.12%align=left Head of government


Italian Republic
Prime Minister
Giorgia Meloni		ECR – FdI2022202713.38%align=left Head of government


Republic of Latvia
Prime Minister
Evika Siliņa		EPP – V202220260.42%align=left Head of government


Republic of Lithuania
President
Gitanas Nausėda		Independent2024
2019		20290.62%align=left Head of state


Luxembourg
Prime Minister
Luc Frieden		EPP – CSV202320280.14%align=left Head of government


Republic of Malta
Prime Minister
Robert Abela		S&D – PL202220270.12%align=left Head of government


Netherlands
Prime Minister
Dick Schoof		Independent202320273.94%align=left Head of government


Republic of Poland
Prime Minister
Donald Tusk		EPP – PO202320278.45%align=left Head of government


Portuguese Republic
Prime Minister
Luís Montenegro		EPP – PSD202420282.30%align=left Head of government


Romania
President
Klaus Iohannis		EPP – PNL2019
2014		20244.29%align=left Head of state

Membership in PNL is formally suspended while in office. Klaus Iohannis, however, still regularly attends EPP pre-European Council meetings.


Slovak Republic
Prime Minister
Robert Fico		 – Smer–SD202320271.22%align=left Head of government


Republic of Slovenia
Prime Minister
Robert Golob		Renew – GS202220260.47%align=left Head of government


Kingdom of Spain
Prime Minister
Pedro Sánchez		S&D – PSOE2023
2019 (Nov)
2019 (Apr)
2016		202710.59%align=left Head of government


Kingdom of Sweden
Prime Minister
Ulf Kristersson		EPP – M202220262.32%align=left Head of government

Timeline of membership

Longest-serving members of the European Council

Membership! colspan=2
Last affiliation
1Jean-Claude JunckerPrime Minister Luxembourg – EPP
Commission President –
23 years, 337 days
2Helmut KohlChancellor Germany – EPP
3Angela MerkelChancellor Germany – EPP
4Jacques SanterPrime Minister Luxembourg – EPP
Commission President –
5Viktor OrbánPrime Minister Hungary – presentPfE
6François MitterrandPresident France – S&D
7Mark RuttePrime Minister Netherlands – Renew
8Donald TuskPrime Minister Poland – EPP
Council President –
Prime Minister Poland – present
9Wilfried MartensPrime Minister Belgium – EPP
–
12 years, 115 days
10José Manuel BarrosoPrime Minister Portugal – EPP
Commission President –
12 years, 111 days
11Jacques ChiracPresident France – EPP
12Ruud LubbersPrime Minister Netherlands – EPP
13Margaret ThatcherPrime Minister United Kingdom – ECR
14Bertie AhernTaoiseach Ireland – ECR
15Robert FicoPrime Minister Slovakia –
–
– present
16Göran PerssonPrime Minister Sweden – S&D
17Poul SchlüterPrime Minister Denmark – EPP
18Felipe GonzálezPrime Minister Spain – S&D
19Tony BlairPrime Minister United Kingdom – S&D
20Jacques DelorsCommission President – S&D

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union . 2 December 2009 . 22 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170822135115/http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/st06655-re01.en08.pdf . dead.
  2. Web site: Members of the European Council . www.consilium.europa.eu . 19 April 2024.
  3. Web site: Current membership of the European Council . 19 April 2024.
  4. Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2021/2320 of 22 December 2021 amending the Council's Rules of Procedure . Council of the European Union . 22 December 2021 . 2021/2320 . Decision.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of members of the European Council".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.